Changaich - The Hyderabadization of a North Indian!
Ramblings; Hyderabad; Culture;
It'll soon be two years since I moved to Hyderabad but somehow it's never felt like home. I mean, sure I say "I'm going home" when I'm getting out of work, but that's just using the word home in the most general of senses. I've always believed that I'm here only temporarily and that I'm going to move out in the next couple of months. Reminds me of the forward that was doing the rounds some time ago about the NRI who wants to come back to India but keeps deferring it till he finally dies there (or something to that effect).
In the past month or so, however, I've been starting to think of staying around for at least another year. Not that I've developed a love for this city. I still believe in the whole Socially Clustered thing and that so doesn't work for me. It's just that I think of it now as a sacrifice I'm making for my career (let's not get into the discussion of it being worthwhile or not, cos that's a whole other debate). Work's pretty good and I'm not going to get something as good for at least another year, so that's what's keeping me here.
What's gotten me worried though is a recent event which got me thinking about how much effect this city has actually had on me. It happenned somewhat like this, I was talking to my parents over the phone. Mom came online and asked "Kee Haal Chaal?" and I responded "Changa-ich".
Now the significance of this statement would probably be lost on all who are not familiar with the Hyderabadi lingo and with the Punjabi word for 'fine', but the others would probably sympathise with me if they have a Punju background or rub their hands in glee if they belong to Gult-land thinking "Another convert!" I'm not trying to be racist here. It's just plain difficult adjusting to a whole different culture and trying to convince yourself that at the end of the day it's the same country. The whole Unity in Diversity thing was not only true but an understatement of the magnitude of that diversity.
I wonder though how long that diversity will exist, with hybrids like me who grow up in a mix of cultures, have Mysore Bajji followed by Lassi, use words like Changa-ich and other things I dare not even think of....
I also wonder how much longer I'll stick on in this city, now that I'm actually planning to stick on another year..... and how Hyderabadized will I be by then....
All I can say is danni dengu!
It'll soon be two years since I moved to Hyderabad but somehow it's never felt like home. I mean, sure I say "I'm going home" when I'm getting out of work, but that's just using the word home in the most general of senses. I've always believed that I'm here only temporarily and that I'm going to move out in the next couple of months. Reminds me of the forward that was doing the rounds some time ago about the NRI who wants to come back to India but keeps deferring it till he finally dies there (or something to that effect).
In the past month or so, however, I've been starting to think of staying around for at least another year. Not that I've developed a love for this city. I still believe in the whole Socially Clustered thing and that so doesn't work for me. It's just that I think of it now as a sacrifice I'm making for my career (let's not get into the discussion of it being worthwhile or not, cos that's a whole other debate). Work's pretty good and I'm not going to get something as good for at least another year, so that's what's keeping me here.
What's gotten me worried though is a recent event which got me thinking about how much effect this city has actually had on me. It happenned somewhat like this, I was talking to my parents over the phone. Mom came online and asked "Kee Haal Chaal?" and I responded "Changa-ich".
Now the significance of this statement would probably be lost on all who are not familiar with the Hyderabadi lingo and with the Punjabi word for 'fine', but the others would probably sympathise with me if they have a Punju background or rub their hands in glee if they belong to Gult-land thinking "Another convert!" I'm not trying to be racist here. It's just plain difficult adjusting to a whole different culture and trying to convince yourself that at the end of the day it's the same country. The whole Unity in Diversity thing was not only true but an understatement of the magnitude of that diversity.
I wonder though how long that diversity will exist, with hybrids like me who grow up in a mix of cultures, have Mysore Bajji followed by Lassi, use words like Changa-ich and other things I dare not even think of....
I also wonder how much longer I'll stick on in this city, now that I'm actually planning to stick on another year..... and how Hyderabadized will I be by then....
All I can say is danni dengu!
posted by Amateur Blogger at 12:27 AM
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